Joy Division

Another influential event was the release of Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch EP in early 1977 - the first independent-label punk record. In the wake of The Buzzcocks releasing the first truly independent record onto the Punk scene, the old movers and shakers from Manchester music collective, Music Force who included producer Martin Hannett, Tosh Ryan and Lawrence Beadle formed a local label called Rabid Records who started putting out singles by local acts like Slaughter & The Dogs(Rob Gretton later to manage Joy Division/New Order was their roadie/tour manager- all Wythenshawe lads), John Cooper Clarke and Ed Banger & The Nosebleeds(whose lineup included Vini Reilly) and licensed Jilted John by Jilted John to EMI records. This record company coincided with Tony Wilson bringing the cream of both American and British punk; New Wave bands to the public on his acclaimed late night Granada Television show So It Goes. This meant that Manchester had the Sex Pistols on the TV long before they were on LWT with Bill Grundy (incidentally another Mancunian).